Convoy ON 115
| Convoy ON.115 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Germany |
 Canada United Kingdom | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Admiral Karl Dönitz | Admiral Sir A J Davies (Commodore) | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 13 U-boats |
43 merchant ships 12 escorts | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 U-boat sunk |
3 ships sunk 2 Damaged 67 killed | ||||||
Convoy ON 115 was a trade convoy of 43 merchant ships with 12 escort ships during the Second World War. The convoy departed Liverpool on 24 July 1942 and arrived at Boston on 8 August. Three ships were lost to U-boats during the crossing and two were damaged.
Name
[edit]It was the 115th of the numbered series of ON convoys Outbound from the British Isles to North America.
Action
[edit]The ships departed Liverpool on 24 July 1942 and were joined on 25 July[1] by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group C-3. They were found on 29 July by the seven U-boats of Wolfpack Wolf. Six U-boats formed Wolfpack Pirat on 1 August and reached the convoy on 2 August. Three ships were sunk before contact was lost in misty weather on 3 August.[2] Surviving ships reached Boston on 8 August.[1]
Ships in the convoy
[edit]| Name[1] | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMCS Agassiz | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 31 Jul – 3 Aug Corvette | |
| Agwidale (1918) |  United States
|
4,763 | Collision then straggled |
| Arletta (1925) |  United Kingdom
|
4,870 | Straggled and sunk by U-458[3] on 5 Aug SSW of Cape Race. 36 of the 41 crew died. Survivors were picked up by USS Menemsha (AG-39) |
| Asbjorn (1935) | United Kingdom
|
4,387 | Bound for Sydney |
| Athelchief (1939) | United Kingdom
|
10,000 | Bound for Curaçao |
| Belgian Soldier (1941) |  Belgium
|
7,167 | Torpedoed and damaged by U-553 then straggled and was sunk by U-607[4] on 4 Aug 21 dead. |
| Brimanger (1929) |  Norway
|
4,883 | Bound for New York City |
| Cistula (1939) |  Netherlands
|
8,097 | Bound for Halifax |
| Collingsworth (1920) | United States
|
5,101 | Bound for New York City |
| Corner Brook (1925) | United Kingdom
|
5,767 | Bound for Halifax |
| Delhi (1925) |  Sweden
|
4,571 | Bound for New York City |
| Dorcasia (1938) | United Kingdom
|
8,053 | Bound for New York City |
| El Lago (1920) |  Panama
|
4,221 | Straggled |
| Emma Bakke (1929) | Norway
|
4,721 | 13 passengers, bound for New York City |
| Empire Heywood (1942) | United Kingdom
|
7,030 | Bound for New York City |
| Empire Ocean (1941) | United Kingdom
|
6,765 | Ashore 4 Aug 42; Sank in tow 5 Aug 42 |
| Empire Southey (1942) | United Kingdom
|
7,041 | |
| Empire Spray (1941) | United Kingdom
|
7,242 | Bound for Halifax |
| Empire Trader (1908) | United Kingdom
|
9,990 | Bound for New York City then Auckland |
| G S Walden (1935) | United Kingdom
|
10,627 | Tanker. Torpedoed by U-552[5] on 3 Aug east of Cape Race and towed into St. John's, Newfoundland. 1 dead |
| HMCS Galt | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 25 Jul – 3 Aug Corvette | |
| Gyda (1934) | United Kingdom
|
1,695 | Bound for Halifax |
| HMCS Hamilton | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 2 Aug Destroyer | |
| Herbrand (1935) | Norway
|
9,108 | Bound for Halifax |
| Hoegh Hood (1936) | Norway
|
9,351 | Bound for Halifax |
| Jamaica Planter (1936) | United Kingdom
|
4,098 | Bound for New York City |
| Katy (1931) | Norway
|
6,825 | Bound for New York City |
| HMCS La Malbaie | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 3 – 8 Aug Corvette | |
| Lochkatrine (1922) | United Kingdom
|
9,419 | Freighter. In ballast. Sunk by U-553.[6] 9 dead. Survivors picked up by HMCS Hamilton And HMCS Agassiz |
| HMCS Louisburg | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 25 Jul – 3 Aug . Took in damaged G S Walden to St. John's, Newfoundland | |
| Lucellum (1938) | United Kingdom
|
9,425 | Returned |
| Manchester Trader (1941) | United Kingdom
|
5,671 | Bound for Halifax thence Saint John, New Brunswick. Rear-Admiral H C Rawlings (Vice-Commodore) |
| Montreal City (1920) | United Kingdom
|
3,066 | Bound for New York City |
| Mount Evans (1919) | Panama
|
5,598 | Bound for New York City |
| Norsk Tank (1928) | Norway
|
9,720 | Bound for Halifax |
| Ornefjell (1937) | Norway
|
1,334 | Bound for Halifax |
| Otina (1938) | United Kingdom
|
6,217 | Bound for Halifax |
| Pacific Grove (1928) | United Kingdom
|
7,117 | 17 Passengers, Bound for New York City. Admiral Sir A J Davies (Commodore) |
| Regent Panther (1937) | United Kingdom
|
9,556 | Bound for New York City |
| HMCS Rimouski | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 3 – 8 Aug Corvette | |
| Robert F Hand (1933) | United Kingdom
|
2,197 | Bound for Halifax |
| HMCS Sackville | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 25 Jul – 4 Aug Corvette | |
| HMCS Saguenay | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 25 Jul – 1 Aug Destroyer | |
| San Ernesto (1939) | United Kingdom
|
8,078 | Bound for New York City |
| Seminole (1936) | United Kingdom
|
10,389 | Bound for New York City |
| HMCS Skeena | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 25 – 31 Jul Destroyer sunk U-588 with depth charges on 31 Jul | |
| Solfonn (1939) | Norway
|
9,925 | Bound for Aruba |
| Tilapa (1928) | United Kingdom
|
5,392 | Bound for Halifax |
| Topdalsfjord (1921) | Norway
|
4,271 | Bound for Hampton Roads |
| Tudor Prince (1940) | United Kingdom
|
1,914 | Bound for Halifax |
| USS Swanson | United States Navy
|
Escort. Destroyer | |
| HMS Verity | Royal Navy
|
Escort 3 – 8 Aug Destroyer | |
| Westland (1931) | Netherlands
|
5,888 | 9 Passengers, Bound for New York City |
| HMCS Wetaskiwin | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 25 Jul – 2 Aug Corvette. Sunk U-588 with depth charges on 31 Jul | |
| HMS Witch | Royal Navy
|
Escort 2 Aug Destroyer |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Convoy ON.115". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
- ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen, pp. 144, 152 & 153
- ^ "Arlette – British steam tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
- ^ "Belgian Soldier – Belgian steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
- ^ "G S Walden – British motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
- ^ "Lochkatrine – British motor merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
Bibliography
[edit]- Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.
- Rohwer, J.; Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.